Established in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a coeducational liberal arts and sciences college in historic Chestertown (Chapter 8, Acts of April Session 1782). The College offers an intensely personalized education for each student. Unlike many other institutions of a similar vintage, Washington College has remained committed to the primacy of the liberal arts. The educational experience provided is linked to its waterfront setting and the rich natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay region.

The College offers 30 majors in the liberal arts and sciences and supplements its core curriculum with internships and research projects, diplomacy programs, special programs in environmental science and public affairs. The College also has a literary press, a forum for guest speakers, and lecture series bringing noted writers and other public figures to campus.

Washington College may be best known for its Sophie Kerr Prize, the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation, awarded to the graduating senior who shows the most promise for a literary career.

The College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and the American Chemical Society. Since 2007, the College has held a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

The College is governed by a board of thirty-seven members named The Visitors and Governors of Washington College in the State of Maryland. The Governor appoints twelve members. Alumni of the College elect twelve additional members, and the Board of Visitors and Governors itself chooses another twelve. Elected by the Board, the final member is the College President. Members serve six-year terms (Chapter 594, Acts of 1986).

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